As misinformation floods social media during escalating hostilities between India and Pakistan, University of Michigan School of Information associate professor Joyojeet Pal warns of the dangerous influence online narratives can have on government action. 

Pal, an expert on social media, democracy and misinformation, says the rapid spread of nationalist sentiment can force politicians into aggressive decisions. 

“If the social media discourse gets out of hand, then you have the government being forced to do certain things, which it might not otherwise do in typical statecraft, because now blood has to be spilled,” Pal says.

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Read “Fog of war thickens as India and Pakistan trade blame and accusations” at The Washington Post. 

Interested in more of Pal’s commentary on the India-Pakistan conflict? Pal was also quoted in the International Business Times, where he spoke about the impact of deep fakes and AI-based content on social media.

Learn more about Joyojeet Pal’s research and interests by visiting his UMSI faculty profile.